Massage and air-compressing machine.



J. B. FEY.

MASSAGE AND AIR GOMPRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IBBJ'I, 1909.

Patented Nov. 9. 1909 2 BHEETSHHEET 1,

v9 0 t. H e 0 M 3 Witnuaeo Guam",

J. B. FEY.

MASSAGE AND AIR UOMPHEBEING MAUHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED I'EB. :7, 1009 939,822. Patented Nov. 9. 19092BHEHTH-BHEET 2.

an I, Mun w. Mau o mmunm, wuumm n c JOSEPH B. FEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MASSAGE AND AIR-COMPRESSING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed February 17, 1909. Serial No. 478,487.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joslcrii B. FRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage and AirCompressin r Machines, of which the following is a speci ication.

My invention relates to the improvement of power operated massagemachines, and the objects of my invention are to provide a machine ofthis class embodying improved means for withdrawing the air from themassaging cu and for forcing air under compression t n'ough a nozzle; toprovide improved means whereby a continued vacuum may be produced in thesuction cup, or an alternate vacuum and air compression producedtherein; to provide means for producing a partial vacuum within the cupwhen desired and to produce other improvements the details of which willbe more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in themanner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the cylinders and valvemechanism of my improved massage and air compressing machine, Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the same with portions of the air conducting tubesand cup supporting attachments removed, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionon line waz of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the piston guidedisks which I employ in the cylinders, and, Fig. 5 is a sectional viewon line yy of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a suitable motor 1 which may beoperated by electricity or other suitable power and which is providedwith the usual central motor shaft 2. Adjacent to one side of the motor,I provide two cylinders 3 and 4, these cylinders converging toward theirupper ends and arranged on radial lines from the center of the motorshaft, said cylinders being suitably connected with the motor casing orits su porting frame. In the cylinder 3, I provi e a piston whichcomprises a cup eather 5 having upturned marginal portions, said cupleather being bound between upper and lower side plates 6 and 7 Thepiston thus formed is carried on a short central piston rod 8 which alsocarries above the piston a guide disk 9 which fits and slides within thecylinder 3 and which as indicated more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawing,has its periphery provided with a plurality of recesses or notches 9.With the piston rod 8 is pivotally connected :1 connecting arm 10, theremaining end of which is pivotally connected with a pin 11, whichprojects cccentrically from the end of the motor shaft 2. The lower andotherwise closed end of the cylinder 3, is provided with an outletpassage 3 from which leads a vertical pipe section 12, the lower end ofwhich connects with the hollow upper end of a valve casing section 18.Into the cup-like lower end of the valve casing section 13, is screwed alower casing section 1 1. The upper hollow portion of the section 13 isintersected by a rotary valve body 15 which has formed thercthrough avalve opening or passage 15". From the bottom of the valve seat 15, leaddownward through the lower portion of the section 13 two ports orpassages 16 and 17 the port 16 communicating with an upper side recess 11 in the valve casing section 14 and the port 17 communicating with asimilar recess 14" in the upper side of said valve casing section. Thevalve casing section 1% is formed with a central downwardly extendingstem 14, with the central hollow of which are connected ports ll and 1 1which lead respectively from the recesses l l and 14*. In the recess14", I provide a check valve 15 which normally closes the up e end ofthe port or passage 14, said va iv being in the nature of a flexiblestrip connected at one end as indicated at 15 with the lower valvecasing section 14.

Vith the valve casing stem 14 I connect one end of a flexible tube 18,the remaining end being connected with a hollow bulbshaped handle 19,the latter having an angular terminal neck 20 with which is adapted tobe connected detachably a massaging cup of suitable size andconstruction such as is indicated at 21. At the angle of the handle neck20, the central passage thereof is intersected by a rotatable valve 22which has a central passage or o ening 22", the ends of which areadapted to e brought into communication with the central passage orhollow of the neck 20. In that portion of the neck 20 which forms acasing for the valve 22, I rovide a plurality of comparatively small airopenings 23 which are adapted to be closed by the periphery of the valve20 or to be successively brought into communication with one of theflaring ends of the central passage 22" of said valve. The valve 22 isadapted to be operated through a suitable hand lever 24.

As prescribed for the cylinder 3, I provide the cylinder 4 with a pistonwhich com- Jrises a plate-bound cup leather 25, this cup eather,however, having its marginal portions turned downwardly, as shown. Thepiston thus formed is carried on the lower end portion of a short pistonrod 26 corresponding with the piston rod 8 and which as prescribed forthe latter also carries a guide disk which is indicated at 27 and whichcorresponds in construction and arrangement with the guide disk 9 of thecylinder \Vith the piston rod 26 is pivotally connected a connecting arm28, the upper end of which is, as prescribed for the arm 10, pivotallyconnected with the eccentrically located shaft pin 11. The underside ofthe cylinder 4 is provided with a passage 29 with which is connectedthrough the medium of a vertical pipe section 30, the hollow upper endof a valve casing 31 through which is formed vertically, a passage 31which is intersected by an enlarged recess or valve seat 31 in which isrotatably mounted a valve 32, the latter having a suitable operatinghandle 32 The valve 32 has formed therethrough a port or assage 32, themouth of which at one (311( is slightly enlarged on one side, as shownat 32 ith a downward extension of the valve casing 31 is connected aflexible tube 33, the lower end of which is connected with a hollow andpreferably bulb-shaped handle Bl having an angular neck termination 35which is adapted to receive and support a suitable form of dischargingnozzle 36. In the angle of the neck termination 35 is rotatably mounteda controlling valve 37 which is formed with a central passage 37.

The operation of my device is substantially as follows: Through theoperation of the motor, rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 2, whichthrough the connections of the arms 10 and 28 with the eccentric pin 11of said motor shaft, must result in a reciprocating motion of the pistonrods 8 and 26 and the cup-leathers 5 and 25 and guide plates 9 and 27.Assuming that the device is being used for the purpose of massaging theskin of a patient and it is desired to produce a suction within themassaging cup 21, the valve 15 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1of the drawing, in which position the upper end of the passage 16 isclosed and the upper end of the passage 17 is in connection with theupper hollow of the valve casing section 13 through the valve port 15.At each upward movement of the up leather 5, it is obvious that thevalve 15 will be raised and that the suction produced by such upwardmovement of the cup leather, will in addition, draw air from the cup 21through the valve opening 22, handle member 1.9, tube 18 and passage ll,thence upward through the ports 17, 15, iipe section 12 and passage 3*to the cylinder. suining' that the cup is in air tight contact with theskin of the patient, it is obvious that the successive upward movementsof the cup leather 5, must result; in the production of a continuedvacuum within the cup 21.

Owing to the flexibility of the cup leather and the fact that itsmarginal portion is turned upward, the air below the cup leather will,on the descent of the latter, find a means of escape upward through thecylinder, about said cup leather and through the edge recesses of theplate 9. It is obvious that the downward movements oi the cup leather 5,will operate to impart an air pressure to the upper side of the valve15, thereby retaining said valve closed during the downward movements ofsaid cup leather.

In case it is desired to successively make and break a vacuum within themassage cup, the valve 15 may be so turned as to bring the lower end ofits passage 15 into communication with the port or passage 16, with theresult that owing to the absence of an intervening valve such as thevalve 1 suction will be created within the massage cup on the upwardmovement of the piston of the cylinder 3 and a downward air compressionwill be imparted at each downward stroke of said piston, thus producingsuccessive inward and outward air pulsations within the cup. The partsbeing in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and it beingdesired to create but a partial vacuum within the massage cup, the valve22 may be so turned as to bring one of the flaring ends of the valvepassage 22 into communication with one or more of the comparativelysmall air inlet openings 23, thus providing for the admission of adesirable amount of air.

In case it is desired to utilize my improved mechanism for forcing acurrent of air under pressure through the nozzle 36 for the purpose ofdrying the skin or other purpose, the valve 32 may be turned to theposition indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in which position it isobvious that the air compressed by the downward movements of the cupleather 25, will be forced through the tube 33, hollow handle 34, neckextension 35 and nozzle 36, the valve 37 having previously been opened.

If it be desired to secure a continuous flow of air under reducedpressure throu h tube 38, the valve 32 may be turned until its passage32 is substantially in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1of the drawing, in which position a reduced quantity of air'will bedriven through the passage 32.

Owing to this choking of the inlet and outlet ends of said valvepassage, it will be understood that in the upward movements of the cupleather 25, a comparatively small volume of air will be drawn upwardinto the cylinder and that the tendency will be to produce through thedownward movements of said cup leather, a substantially continuousalthough reduced pressure of air through the atomizer and its outletnozzle, thus proyiding the desired continuous spraying of eet.

In order to insure a proper degree of movement of the valve handle 32,to accomplish the partial choking effect in the air passage, I mayprovide said valve handle with a lug 32 (see Fig. 2) which when thehandle is sufliciently turned to permit of the contact of said lug witha lug 32 on the valve casing, will prevent further movement of thehandle and indicate that the valve has been turned the desired distance.

It is obvious that the volume of air passing out through the nozzle 36may be at all times regulated by the turning of the valve 37.

From the construction and operation de scribed, it will be seen that acomparatively simple, although efi'ective mechanism is pro vided whereineither a suction or vacuum effeet or a pulsating or intermittentcompression efi'ect may be produced within the massage cup and that suchmechanism is combined with means for discharging air under compressionthrough a desirable form of nozzle.

What I claim, is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acylinder, a piston therein, and means for imparting a reciprocatingmovement to said piston, of a valve casing connected with one end ofsaid piston, a rotary valve in said casing having a port therethrough,said casing having an internal recess, a pair of passages leading fromseparated points in said rotary valve seat to a single passage in thelower portion of the valve casing, a check valve adapted to normallyclose one of the passages of said pair, an air conductor connected withsaid valve casing, and a massage cup at the end of said conductor.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acylinder, a piston therein, and means for imparting a reciprocatingmotion to said piston, of a valve casing connected with said cylinder, avalve constrolled passage in said casing intersected by a check valveadapted to be opened only on the upstroke of the piston, an airconductor connected with said valve casing and its passage, an angularterminal member on said conductor, a rotary valve seated in saidterminal member and having a central passage, said terminal memberhaving a plurality of ports extending from the valve seat through itswall, and a massaging cup carried by said terminal member.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acylinder and a reciprocatory piston therein, of a valve casing, a valvemounted therein, a pair of separated ports in said valve casing, saidvalve being adapted to bring either of said ports into communicationwith the cylinder a check valve in one of said ports, said check valveopening toward the cylinder, a massage cup, and a conductor leading fromsaid massage cup to said valve casing, both of the ports of said valvecasing being in com munication with said conductor.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH B. FEY.

Witnesses:

A. L. PHELPS, L. CARI) STOUGHTON.

